Foothills patient and employee Melody Helms credits her weight loss success to the “tremendous team at Foothills.” As our patient advocate, she is able to work effectively with our patients to help them succeed, too.
“I’m an employee at Foothills, so I know the physicians here both professionally and personally,” said Helms. “They’re wonderful.” Helms went on to praise the entire Foothills staff and the services that Foothills offers. “The support systems available at Foothills are all inclusive. From the psychologist and nutrition support to interaction with physicians on an as-needed basis, the team is there for you. And the nursing staff is available to answer questions pretty much 24 hours a day. They go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.”
Helms lost more than 200 pounds following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that involves surgically removing 85 percent or more of the stomach, resulting in a new stomach roughly the size and shape of a banana. It is a purely restrictive operation that generates weight loss by restricting the amount of food (and, therefore, calories) that can be consumed. The procedure is also believed to have some effect on the gastrointestinal tract hormones responsible for control of hunger and diabetes.
“I chose gastric sleeve because I needed to see fast weight loss results,” says Helms. “I knew that losing weight quickly would encourage me to continue to make healthier lifestyle decisions.”
Helms said that life after weight loss is an incredible journey. “I’m back in school pursuing my nursing degree, and I still have so much energy my daughters have a hard time keeping up with me.”
Helms is maintaining her weight loss through exercise and making the right food choices – both what she eats and how much. She said that in the past she was never successful at losing weight because she always viewed maintaining healthy habits as temporary. She now realizes that it is a lifelong process—and she’s already on a successful path.